The Next Generation
by Jake and Crystal
Summary: [2 Episodes] The balance of existence is starting to drift toward destruction and in the midst of disaster, an unknowing band of unlikely heroes has appeared. Read and Review!
1. A New Beginning

Disclaimer: All characters and locations from Final Fantasy IX are the copyright of Squaresoft. The original or made-up characters portrayed in this fanfiction are the collective creations of me and some of my friends who have requested that their characters be used. The concepts and events mentioned in this fanfiction are entirely fictitious and a number of them are, by the known laws of physics as applied on the planet earth, undeniably impossible. Do enjoy the fanfic!  
  
Author's Notes: This fanfiction is a collaboration on the part of myself (Crystal Mizuka) and my friend, and fellow ff.net writer, Jake Yoshimatto. Those of you who know us well enough know exactly what this means, but those of you who don't know what to expect of us will probably end-up shocked and amazed or greatly disturbed by just how strange it is when something irrationally confusing suddenly decides to make sense.  
  
SPOILER WARNING!: This fanfiction is written under the basis that it takes place 20 years after the end of Final Fantasy IX.  
  
------Key------  
  
"......"-speaking  
  
~......~-thinking  
  
{......}-telepathy  
  
|......|-dreaming  
  
**......**-exaggerated sound or action  
  
[......]-author's notes  
  
------A New Beginning------  
  
The world had been in turmoil; controlled by greed and fear. Eight unlikely heroes emerged from the darkness and after many hardships discovered the source of the darkness that had covered the world. They fought bravely and eventually, after many more hardships, they ended up saving the world from certain destruction. Now the wounds of the past and more or less healed and the people were starting to move on with their lives. The adventure was nothing more than a story, only truly remembered by those who had seen everything with their own eyes.  
  
It was quite a legacy to live-up to if you happened to be the new princess of Alexandria Castle. It was a sheltered life filled with the belief that the world had been saved and nothing else could possibly go wrong. For a soon-to-be fifteen year-old girl with a tail and a summoner's horn, who sought adventure and to be worthy of such a legacy, it was rather dull and disappointing. It was good for the world to be at peace, and yet at the same time, this peace was just too unrealistic.  
  
What was a girl to do when she couldn't go out and follow her heart? Even if there was no battle to be fought or world to be saved, it was still good exorcise and considerably more enjoyable to practice with various weapons. Of course, she could only get away with such things if no one happened to be watching her and so she became very talented in the ways of escaping from the castle unnoticed and into the nearby Evil Forest that was no longer covered by the thick layers of Mist that had once covered that part of the continent.  
  
The new princess of Alexandria Castle would soon discover a secret that would change her life forever. The fate of the world could very well be at stake once more.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Wars were a terrible thing. Blood, lives lost and innocent people being forced to suffer. This was the main reason why this war had to end. The empire finally wanted to make peace with their rivals, but sought to do it by using the secret weapon they had hidden for quite some time: Magic.  
  
There was vigorous training for an elite force that would be using the forbidden weapon. They had no alternative. None had passed the test proving to be the best; the one that would lead this elite guard, except for one.  
  
This soldier had been trained specifically to root out any physical weaknesses. He was given the best technology that could be offered in his self-repairing, nano-tech armor. He was also given the two most devastating weapons in history: the Demon Gun and the Demon Sword.  
  
After about five weeks of constant battle, this soldier had been ready to drop on a bed of exhaustion. He used nothing but his strength and the Magic he was given in battles. He constantly risked himself for his men in the most dire situations, to pull out in victory.  
  
Though, one battle the soldier had won, in consequence to his entire squadron being destroyed. He was unaware that this mystical flash of light that swept him away would lead him to his greatest adventure yet. Shiro Musouka, 17 years of age, soldier of the Mai'ken Empire, general of the Mage Revolution Squadron, was left alone on the battlefield to be sent off to possibly help save the world from certain destruction.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The day started like any other day in Alexandria Castle. There was much hustle and bustle as everyone in Alexandria rushed through the preparations for a grand party, celebrating Princess Crystal's fifteenth birthday.  
  
On any other day, Princess Crystal would have long since departed from the castle to go off into the forest to practice and talk with the animals. She had long since discovered the gift that her summoner's horn provided her with and she enjoyed her time in the forest even more because of it. As it was, the young princess was in her chamber getting ready for the party, which to her distaste required her to wear a dress.  
  
It was a simple, yet elegant dress that was a lovely shade of sky blue. Princess Crystal liked it well enough, but she really preferred her more casual wear, that not entirely unlike her ventures into the forest had to be kept hidden. Princess Crystal let out a quiet sigh as she finished getting into the dress, which was made a bit more challenging because of her tail, and took a seat at the small table that was in the chamber.  
  
"All of our family friends will be here, so this should be fun even if it is a little too flashy for my taste," Crystal nodded to herself. "It's best for me to just try to enjoy myself."  
  
For the typical knight, the privilege of guarding the Princess, was an honor indeed. For Set Kame, it was also his dream to be protecting the Queen and King. He stumbled and fell face first, clattering armor and all, right next to the Princess's bedchamber door.  
  
"And that would be Bungling Rusty to inform me that it's time to greet the guests," Princess Crystal got up from the chair by the table and walked over to the doorway. She opened the door and looked to Set sprawled out on the floor, "Have the guests arrived?"  
  
Set had sweatdropped while climbing clumsily back to his feet and getting into his attention stance, "Yes, Your Highness, the guests have arrived."  
  
~It's only my title as Princess that makes everyone praise me~ Crystal thought to herself without revealing her thoughts in her expression. She nodded thoughtfully, "At ease Sir Knight, this is supposed to be a party."  
  
Set took an eased state, but still looked tense, "Sorry Your Highness.. but I worry for your safety.. what should happen tonight if everything falls apart like that one time a birthday party was held here? I must stay vigilant!"  
  
Crystal smiled thoughtfully, "Do what you will." With that, she started down the corridor.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiro had been fighting for over 3 hours straight. His body was sore and aching all over. He finally forced the last enemy troops to retreat. He fell to his knees, panting, once they were gone. He was the last man standing on the battlefield.  
  
".... all of them died for a great cause.. but.. I was hoping.. to join them.. I guess.. my life goes on."  
  
He was obviously tired of fighting wars. He would have rather gone on an exhilarating journey, even if it meant going awol on his empire. He didn't realized it for several seconds, but a small flash had occurred. A rip in time had been formed.  
  
Shiro was focused on the sunset in the distance before he fell into unconsciousness and was swallowed by the rift.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
It was hours into the party and it showed no signs of slowing down. Crystal had snuck her way up to the castle roof to escape the noise and crowds. She was looking off into the distance where the sun was setting when she saw a flash of light above Evil Forest.  
  
Her curiosity got the better of her and Crystal quickly went about sneaking back into her chamber. She stepped into her closet and dug around in the back until she had gathered the clothes that she kept cleverly hidden.  
  
Several minutes passed, during which Crystal changed out of the dress she had been wearing. She was now wearing a pair of loose-fitting, electric blue pants with a silver flame pattern embroidered around the ankles. She was also wearing the upper half of a silver tank top under an electric blue, bolero blouse with silver trim. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and started on her usual way out of the castle.  
  
Through all of this, she was amazed she was managing this so easily with so many people crowded inside of the castle. Her destination was clear: Evil Forest.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Set had glanced around while he was attention. The party seemed to be flowing smoothly. He noticed one crucial difference: the Princess was gone. His eyes widened as he ran over to his brigade and began giving orders to search for the Princess.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiro had slowly started to stir into consciousness. He blinked his eyes several times. He was lying in the middle of Evil Forest. The Demon Gun was on his right arm and the Demon Sword was in his left hand. His armor was mostly covered in bloody, partially his own.  
  
Even with the sun quickly setting, Crystal had absolutely no trouble navigating her way through Evil Forest. The flash of light had faded, but she was still rather certain she was heading in the right direction as she darted across the treetops.  
  
Crystal paused as she spotted a seemingly mangled form on the forest floor. She dropped down from the treetops and landed near the form that seemed to be slowly stirring. She watched carefully, not entirely what to do at this point.  
  
Shiro grunted a bit more before he finally sat up. He shook his battered head while looking at the ground. He heard the trees rustle and began looking around frantically.  
  
Crystal stepped out of the cover of the shadows and into the moonlight, "Are you alright?"  
  
Shiro blinked when he saw Crystal. He shook his head, "Not really.. I got through a terrible battle and passed out.. and now I find myself in.. a forest rather than a bloody massacre of a battlefield?"  
  
Crystal cocked her head to the side in a slightly confused manor, "Hm... it sounds like you couldn't possibly be from around here."  
  
Shiro blinked and nodded slowly as he looked around one more time, "Indeed.. this place is so unfamiliar to me.."  
  
Crystal was mentally encouraged by the thought ~This guy couldn't possibly know that I'm a princess then.~ She stepped closer, "For one thing, there hasn't been a single war here in the last twenty years and you're right in the middle of Evil Forest." She extended her hand to help Shiro up, "By the way, I'm Crystal."  
  
Shiro nodded while accepting Crystal's hand and the help getting back to his feet. He clipped the Demon Sword into place and started dusting himself off.  
  
A rustling in the bushes stirred Crystal's attention and caused her to look in the direction the sound was coming from. It couldn't have been guards from the castle searching for her, because they'd be clanging armor in the process [especially Set.] She tensed slightly and gazed through the darkness, finally able to see a tall outline with a massive, demonic wingspan a short distance off.  
  
"We should get out of here," suggested Crystal carefully starting back in the direction of the castle.  
  
Shiro followed, blinking when he looked to where Crystal had looked, "What did you see?"  
  
Crystal opened her mouth to answer, but promptly closed it again as a loud dragonic roar echoed through the forest and forced her to plug her ears. She turned around again, looking passed Shiro and through the thick trees. The shadowy, winged form had gone, but now there was a massive green dragon looming a short distance away. Certain that the sound was gone, Crystal frowned and lowered her hands, "Stay back... I'll handle this."  
  
Shiro had blinked, seeing the dragon he frowned. He winced from some of the wounds in his chest, burning from the movement. He skidded around, the case of the Demon Gun glowing faintly while he watched Crystal.  
  
Crystal stood firmly in place. Her feet were carefully spaced a shoulder distance and she held her right hand above her head. An icy blue, glowing orb formed in the palm of her hand as sparkles of the same color started rising up around her.  
  
Shiro blinked, his eyes straining as he felt the energy. It was the same type of energy that is emitted by the Demon Gun when it fires, "A Shoukanjuu?" His voice was starting to get faint and ragged.  
  
The glow in Crystal's hand shot skyward and exploded in a violent flash of icy blue light. A magical ice maiden dropped from where the light had vanished and floated in front of the dragon. The ice maiden waved a hand and the dragon, that seemed to so menacing because of its large size and the darkness that it was surrounded by, became encased in a massive sheet of ice. The ice shattered along with the dragon and fell to the forest floor with the same sound as a glass window breaking.  
  
Crystal heaved a quiet sigh and lowered her hand. The ice maiden quickly vanished back into thin air, taking the frozen mass of dead dragon away with her. An emerald coin with the symbol of wind engraved on both of its sides floated into Crystal's hand as she closed it. She didn't think anything of it and slid the coin into her pocket.  
  
Crystal looked back to Shiro to see how he was doing, "That was a close one."  
  
Shiro sighed, getting back to his feet after resting a little bit. He then asked, "Was that.. a Shoukanjuu, or.. Summon Creature?" He gulped down some air to try and get is voice back to normal.  
  
Crystal nodded, "Yes, but here we call them Eidolons. I suppose you already know, but that one was Shiva."  
  
Shiro nodded slowly, his eyes falling on the Demon Gun, "I know... but.. I try not to use them too often myself.."  
  
Crystal blinked, obviously confused by this, "You're definitely not from around here, but in my case it's different... the Eidolons I use are a part of me."  
  
Shiro sighed while looking to the sky, "I see.. so to you they're spirits that protect you.. guardians of sorts.. me.. they were turned into tools and weapons of war.. I can't summon them like you can.."  
  
Crystal nodded, "It's like we come from different worlds or something, but many things are the same. Anyway, if you think you can walk we could try to at least get clear of this forest before we set up camp."  
  
Shiro nodded while standing there. "I can.. just.. not too quickly," he said, while smiling to Crystal.  
  
Crystal blinked as something occurred to her, "I can fix that too." She held out her left hand and a mystical, sparkling blue glow started to shine off of her hand, flowing over Shiro in healing waves.  
  
Shiro blinked, watching Crystal as she worked. His chest started to move slower. He partially closed his eyes. His chest stopped burning. His breathing returned to normal. His body was healed.  
  
Crystal lowered her hand and the glow faded until it was gone, "Now then, I guess we should work on getting out of this forest."  
  
Shiro nodded with new energy, "Thanks by the way, Crystal, my name's Shiro." He started in the direction she had been leading them in, basically back toward Alexandria Castle.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
------For Those of You Who Don't Know------  
  
The Demon Gun and the Demon Sword are both weapons from the Final Fantasy Unlimited anime series. The term "Shoukanjuu" is used in FFU when the Demon Gun is used to summon a Summon Creature. 


	2. Ice and Fire

Disclaimer: All characters and locations from Final Fantasy IX are the copyright of Squaresoft. The original or made-up characters portrayed in this fanfiction are the collective creations of me and some of my friends who have requested that their characters be used. The concepts and events mentioned in this fanfiction are entirely fictitious and a number of them are, by the known laws of physics as applied on the planet earth, undeniably impossible. Do enjoy the fanfic!  
  
Author's Notes: This fanfiction is collaboration on the part of myself (Crystal Mizuka) and my friend, and fellow ff.net writer, Jake Yoshimatto. Those of you who know us well enough know exactly what this means, but those of you who don't know what to expect of us will probably end-up shocked and amazed or greatly disturbed by just how strange it is when something irrationally confusing suddenly decides to make sense.  
  
SPOILER WARNING!: This fanfiction is written under the basis that it takes place 20 years after the end of Final Fantasy IX.  
  
------Key------  
  
"......"-speaking  
  
~......~-thinking  
  
{......}-telepathy  
  
|......|-dreaming  
  
**......**-exaggerated sound or action  
  
[......]-author's notes  
  
------Ice and Fire------  
  
Crystal had quite easily guided herself and Shiro out of Evil Forest. However, she had indirectly started moving away from Alexandria Castle. She had reached the conclusion that going back would only cause trouble for her, but for Shiro simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. So, instead of returning to the castle, Crystal had led the way to the entrance of the Ice Cavern. Shiro had said nothing as he walked along with Crystal, occasionally tightening the arm guards of his armor along with his gloves.  
  
Crystal stopped a short distance from the entrance to the Ice Cavern, "We should camp out here for the rest of the night. It would be foolish to travel through this place in the cold of night."  
  
Shiro nodded lightly, shivering, "Yeah.. sleep would be a good thing."  
  
After a few minutes of examining the area outside of the cavern, Crystal had a small campfire going and was already on her back with her arms folded behind her head. She looked up into the sky and thought about the strange events that had occurred over the last few hours. It couldn't have just been an accident that a strange light in the sky had lured her into Evil Forest to find a strange, injured boy about to be attacked by a green dragon. And then there was the emerald coin she had received after the dragon was destroyed. She was certain this was not just a coincidence.  
  
Shiro sat near the fire to keep warm. He could not sleep. The thought of nearly being attacked by a dragon when he was still weakened and unable to defend himself had frightened him. He could remember the demon dragons he had face in some earlier battles of the war from his world, and shuddered involuntarily.  
  
Crystal took notice of the fact that Shiro didn't seem like he would be going to sleep any time soon. She wasn't in any kind of hurry to get to sleep herself, but she was entirely against the idea of traveling through the Ice Cavern at night. Without moving from the comfortable position she had found to look up at the stars, Crystal decide to start some conversation, "That was the first time I've used an Eidolon in a real battle."  
  
Shiro blinked, looking to Crystal's form as he sat there. He was obviously getting curious about it now, "Oh? I take it you're not a fighter much, are you?"  
  
Crystal thought the question over and replied, "Like I said before, this world has been at peace for the last twenty years. There hasn't been any need for fighters, but I've been training myself anyway... just incase the darkness ever resurfaces."  
  
Shiro nodded lightly while looking into the fire. He remembered his past fights, "Well.. as I said before.. I know of them as Shoukanjuu.. and they're summoned from what is called the Demon Gun." He lifted up his right arm, which appeared to be covered by a large golden casing.  
  
Crystal closed her eyes, realizing that she was much more tired than she originally believe she was. Before drifting off into sleep, she spoke once again, "The circumstances are strange, but I believe that it is no accident that we met this night."  
  
Shiro looked down a bit. He curled up tighter, the vivid image of that demon dragon still fresh in his mind. He shuddered in fear and decided to stay awake, mostly to keep watch.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
|Crystal stood quietly in the middle of a forest clearing. Ahead of her was a tall cliff-face with a waterfall in the center flowing down into a large, bowl-like pond. Floating above the pond was an eerie glowing figure. Anyone who had seen this figure while he was still living would have known that he was Kuja. This did not apply to Crystal.  
  
"In such a short time, you have grown quite powerful young Princess," the figure spoke to Crystal in such a way that she knew the voice could not possibly be speaking to anyone else.  
  
Crystal found that somehow she felt comforted by this voice rather than frightened by it, even though the figure that spoke to her was noticeably transparent. She nodded, "I do not know the reasons why, but I feel that I must strengthen myself and be prepared for the worst."  
  
"Wise sentiments," replied the figure in that same voice that seemed to speak directly to Crystal and to no one else. "From the surface the problem is invisible, barely a threat, and so no one notices. However, there are some that have taken notice of the strange shadows that are beginning to form over the world once again."  
  
Crystal was not surprised that this figure would know that such things had happened in the past. She spoke again, "What is my role in all of this?"  
  
"You may not believe you are worthy of your title as Princess, however many will see you as a powerful leader. There are powerful allies out there who will follow you into oblivion itself, because they believe in you and your cause," answered the figure.  
  
"How will I know what path to take?" asked Crystal.  
  
The figure spoke once more, "You will not know the correct path to take, but you will do what you believe is right. Until we meet again, farewell."|  
  
Crystal felt the sunlight streaming down on her and slowly sat up as she opened her eyes. She looked around to gain some grounds on where she was, and remembering the events of the night before was not surprised to find that she was still outside of the Ice Cavern.  
  
Shiro looked to the awake Crystal, smiling gently, "Morning." He used a simple spell to douse the fire before standing up and looking to the entrance of the Ice Cavern, frowning slightly.  
  
Crystal got to her feet and stretched her arms above her head, draining the last traces of sleep from her system. She looked to the ominous entrance to the Ice Cavern, "It should only take about an hour to travel through here and when we reach the other side we'll be close to the town of Dali. Maybe we can find out more about where you came from and how you got here."  
  
Shiro nodded while drawing the Demon Sword from his back. It turned a glowing red color as it changed into its full form, ready for use as a normal weapon under the fire element, "Of course."  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
They were about halfway through the Ice Cavern when Crystal noticed a strange outline in one of the ice walls. As she traced the outline with her eyes, Crystal realized that it was a dragon that was sealed within the ice wall. The reason it was difficult to notice at first was because the dragon was almost the same color as the ice. Crystal stopped walking and decided to point out her discovery to Shiro. She traced the outline by pointing with her finger as she spoke, "Take a look at that. There's a dragon frozen in the ice wall."  
  
Shiro blinked as he looked to the wall. Then he also noticed the dragon outline, "I think.. we best hurry along.." He quickly started walking again. His face was pale, not from the cold, but mostly from fear.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
They were finally through the Ice Cavern. Out on the mountain peak, outside of the frozen cavern, the sun shined brightly. Crystal took in the sunlight and looked into the distance, spotting the town in question with ease. She was about to point it out to Shiro when a small shape dropped down from somewhere behind and above them.  
  
The shape was certainly human, but it was moving too quickly to be identified and it was certainly smaller than Crystal. The shaped zoomed by nabbed something from Crystal's pocket and took off down the mountain path toward Dali. Without a second thought, Crystal took off after the shape, "Come back here you thief!"  
  
Shiro blinked and followed after Crystal. Even though he held his sword in one hand, he was not weighted down in the least and was easily able to maintain his full speed.  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Crystal skidded to a halt as she entered the small town of Dali and lost sight of the thief that she was chasing down. She reached into her pocket to see what was actually missing and found that the emerald coin was still perfectly safe, but half of her Gil was missing.  
  
"Gr... I'll catch you, just wait and see," Crystal cracked her knuckles and waited for Shiro to catch up with her.  
  
It didn't take long for Shiro to catch up. He might have been scrawny for a warrior, but he was quick on his feet. The Demon Gun and Demon Sword converted into two large, green orbs and Shiro connected them to one of his arm guards, "Much better."  
  
Crystal started scanning the town with her eyes, trying to find the thief again, but she didn't have any luck. She frowned slightly and turned to Shiro, "I don't suppose you're up to searching the town for that thief?"  
  
Shiro had obviously been searching as well. He looked straight at a pipe, "What's that?" He walked over to inspect it more closely.  
  
Crystal followed after Shiro and looked it over as well. She nodded to herself, "I've heard rumors that there's a hidden, underground factory that used to produce Black Mages in this town. I wonder if the stories are true... if they are, I bet that's the perfect spot for thieves to hideout."  
  
Shiro nodded as he looked around again. He thought for a second, "Problem.. where's the entrance?" He was considering using a Mini spell to slide down the pipe.  
  
Crystal thought about the problem for a second and spoke up again, "I've heard that there's a hidden door in the building behind the Mayor's House that's supposed to lead into the factory... that's if it ever actually existed in the first place."  
  
Shiro glanced around a bit and finally spotted the Mayor's place. He quickly walked over and after giving it some thought, "Uh.. I think you should ask first.."  
  
Crystal went passed Shiro and toward the building behind the Mayor's place. She smirked slightly as she opened the door, "This is just the windmill maintenance building. Anyone can go inside." With that said, she stepped inside.  
  
Shiro sweatdropped and quietly followed. He glanced around, not really taking anything in. He started searching for the hidden doorway.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
What used to be the Underground Black Mage Factory was now mostly just a bunch of broken machinery and conveyor belts along with rooms filled with piles of wooden boxes. Everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. On top of one of the large stacks of boxes was the thief in question.  
  
She was a twelve year old wearing a pair of navy blue shorts with a baggy, long-sleeved, dark green tunic with numerous pockets. She also wore leather traveler's boots and gloves. Her dark blond hair was cut in such a way that it was difficult to tell if she was a boy or a girl. Her hazel eyes were presently counting the Gil she had stolen from Crystal.  
  
"Another job well done," the girl congratulated herself.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal stepped off of the small elevator platform and looked around the narrow underground path that basically led straight to what had once been a very productive, if not built for the wrong reasons, factory. She had to admit, the place certainly was real. Then she spotted the obvious footprints that must have been recently left in the dust on the floor.  
  
"And our thief is about to get caught," Crystal concluded quietly.  
  
Shiro chuckled when he stepped off behind Crystal. He looked around and nodded, "Nice and dark. Yup. It'd be a good place for monsters or thieves to hide."  
  
Crystal started down the path into the next room. This was when one of the wooden boxes shouted down at her and Shiro, "What do ya think yer doing in my house?!"  
  
Crystal was forced to sweatdrop and broke down laughing when she realized the voice was actually coming from the girl on top of the pile of boxes. She had just pocketed a nice sum of Gil and seemed to be debating whether she should run or not.  
  
Shiro glanced at the boxes and saw the little girl on top of them. He just facevaulted, "A kid?"  
  
The girl jumped down from her perch on top of the boxes. At some point she had clipped a set of metallic claws and armor to the back of her right arm and hand. She spoke defiantly to Shiro's comment, "I'll have you know I'm twelve years old."  
  
Crystal stopped laughing, "You really aren't a very good thief."  
  
"I'm still in the learning stages," the girl replied attempting to glare at Shiro and Crystal, but failed to look intimidating.  
  
Shiro rolled his eyes, while tapping one of the orbs on his arm guard. His Demon Sword, which looked like a long arm blade pointed at the girl, his penetrating stare showing defiantly, "So, you choose to fight rather than admit being wrong to steal?"  
  
"If you wanna make something of it," the girl crossed her arms, "then I'll have no choice. Don't expect me to go easy on you though."  
  
Crystal sweatdropped and stepped between the both of them, "That's quite enough. Reiya, your manners really haven't improved since the last time we met."  
  
Shiro sweatdropped, before turning the arm blade back into an orb on the arm guard. He glanced between Crystal and Reiya, "You know this kid?"  
  
Reiya gave Shiro another glare, "The name is Reiya Yoruhonou! I'll kick yer arse if you don't stop calling me a kid!"  
  
Crystal shook her head, "You were still training to be a thief a year ago, although you don't really steal from anyone except for the monsters that lurk around the town... and me to say hello when you know I'm going to be in the area."  
  
Reiya reached into one of her numerous pockets and handed Crystal back the Gil she had stolen, "Yeah, you know word travels pretty fast when it is considered important. Everyone panicked when they realized you weren't at the castle, so I figured you were probably going to make your way here."  
  
Shiro snorted, while looking away. A sharp chill suddenly ran down his spine, though it clearly wasn't cold. He was getting one of his infamous bad feelings. He was partly known in his world for predicting when things were about to get worse, a lot worse. He simply didn't say anything, though his face went quite pale.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A tall figure with massive, leathery wings stood beside the ice wall within the Ice Cavern. Long black hair down to his shoulders came from all around. In the hand of a very muscular arm was a sword with a blade that seemed to glow crimson. He lunged the blade into the ice wall and the ice quickly melted away. The figure spoke, "Awaken great dragon of ice and destroyed the village that should fear your might."  
  
The dragon stretched its wings and let out a loud roar before ascending into the sky. The figure vanished completely.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal looked to Shiro, "Are you alright?"  
  
There was a loud crash from up above and bits of the ceiling crashed downward, narrowly missing the three of them. Reiya started toward the small elevator platform, "We better get out of here."  
  
Shiro followed, shuddering again as he glanced upward, "... this.. gods.. why do I get the feeling something bad just happened?"  
  
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*  
  
Reiya was the first one step out the door of the windmill maintenance building and was nearly stepped on by the massive taloned foot of the Ice Dragon. She quickly stepped back inside, "Uh... there's a dragon out there..."  
  
An arrow-pointed tail sliced through the wall and knocked the door clean off its hinges. Crystal nabbed Reiya and fell back into Shiro, "Yes, there is a dragon outside."  
  
Shiro caught both of them and helped them back to their feet. Then he detached one of the orbs, causing it to shine and transform back into the Demon Gun casing. He sighed and shook his head, "I'll take this one." He twitched slightly, the image of the demon dragon that had nearly killed him was still stuck in his mind. The blood of the dragon had fallen over him on that battlefield and ever since that time, he wasn't sure why, but he felt different.  
  
Crystal and Reiya quickly move to the opposite wall of the building and ducked down to stay as well out of blast range as they could manage. Crystal shouted, "We're rooting for ya Shiro!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiro went outside and ducked under the dragon, "Hey Scaleface, come and get me!" He took off in a different direction. The Demon Gun began to glow with an ominous black aura. His own eyes shifted to pure black pits. His energy formed a massive spike of power, although he had yet to actually tap into that power.  
  
The dragon twisted around and came after Shiro. It reared back its head as it sucked in a large quantity of air and exhaled a steady stream of cold blue fire in Shiro's direction. At the same time, the dragon let out another icy roar.  
  
Shiro ran quickly. He avoided the icy breath and got a safe distance away from Dali. A mask came down over his face, covering the lower part of his face as he turned to the dragon. His energy spiked even more as he stood there, "Scaleface, you can do better than that!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal and Reiya quietly slid out from the cover of the windmill maintenance building. It was easy to figure out where the battle was headed, considering the large footprints the dragon was leaving behind with each ground-shaking step it took.  
  
"Do you think Shiro can handle that thing?" asked Reiya.  
  
Crystal nodded, "If the Shoukanjuu from the Demon Gun are anything like the Eidolons I use, we're in for quite a show."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Spikes from the Ice Dragon's shoulders shot into the ground and formed a massive, hollow pillar of ice around Shiro. The Ice Dragon inhaled another large quantity of air and exhaled, filling the pillar with its cold blue fire.  
  
Shiro let himself become encased in the pillar of ice and nearly frozen by the cold fire. His energy never diminished, although he seemed to be asking the bitter coldness to burn on his open skin. Then he shouted loudly, "SOIL.. BE MY STRENGTH!" All of the ice around him shattered. The gale winds of darkness formed around him as he held out his right arm and a drill came out of the elbow joint of the golden casing. 4 fan-like blades shot out around the drill, causing the energy to spiral into a massive vortex around himself and the dragon.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Crystal and Reiya watched from a safe distance. They had climbed onto the roof of the Dali Inn, which was still perfectly intact despite the fact that a dragon had rampaged through the town.  
  
"I'm glad we aren't in the middle of that," said Reiya uneasily.  
  
Crystal nodded, "That dragon isn't going to know what hit it."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The icy blue dragon tried to suck in another large breath of air to breath another blast of cold fire, but it was as though the air around the dragon and Shiro had become hollow of anything useful to the dragon.  
  
Shiro's eyes pulsated with a purple hue as he swung his arm out into a position as though he were holding a gun. The casing around his arm broke apart into several smaller pieces, swirling around his arm as energy surged around them. The pieces slowly crumbled together to form a massive gun with a crystal-like orb in part of it. Within the orb was something black that appeared to be beating like a heart. The chamber finished constructing around Shiro's arm while the drill and fan blades continued to spin. The heart of the Demon Gun pumped at a normal rate as Shiro spoke in a darker voice, "Ma Ga, Kaitou." The winds dispersed around Shiro, making the Demon Gun gleam in the air, although the air around him and the dragon was still void of anything with elemental properties.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"He's radiating so much power already... and he hasn't even attacked yet," Reiya was looking thoroughly impressed by Shiro's display of power.  
  
Crystal was at a loss for words and simply nodded in agreement.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The dragon dug its claws into the ground, bracing itself for whatever attack this mere human was preparing to throw at it. The dragon let out a low hissing growl of anger.  
  
Shiro hissed right back at the dragon. His aura projected wide enough to make his face look like a dragon's, black in color, although his face was just as normal as ever. His aura flared as he pointed at the Ice Dragon as if he were speaking as Death himself, "I have chosen the appropriate Soil for the likes of you..." The hand reached down for one of the bullets at his belt. He pulled the bullet out quickly, and held it in his hand like he was about to flip a coin, "Origin of All, MOTHER BLACK!" He flicked the bullet into the air like a coin, and twitched his arm. The bullet landed in the left module, the shutter closing quickly and locking into place. Shockwaves sparked around the surrounding area.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"I think I understand why he decided to lure the dragon out of town," noted Crystal.  
  
Reiya nodded, "I don't think there's going to be much left standing after he fires that thing."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The dragon dug its claws into the ground more tightly and pulled back its neck and head. The dragon folded its wings in front of itself, forming a shield in an attempt to protect itself from the energy shockwaves.  
  
Shiro continued to glare at the dragon with his black pit eyes. He pulled up the second bullet, this one looking as bright as a dark flame, "One that Burns Everything, FIRE RED!" He flicked the bullet in his fingers, holding it straight up on the tip of his thumb. Then he inserted the bullet into the right barrel, causing another shockwave of energy to form. Shiro glanced about, hoping he was far enough from the town.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
A slight breeze seemed to blow into Dali, but aside from that it was hard to tell that there was anything explosive going on nearby. Crystal and Reiya were still on the Dali Inn roof, watching the action from their safe spot.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
The dragon folded its wings more tightly in front of it and ducked its head down to further protect itself from the shockwaves of energy that were spiking up around it.  
  
Shiro narrowed his eyes to near slits as he harshly thumbed the third bullet, a golden one that shined bright as the sun. He shouted out in a voice that sounded like a mix between a dragonic voice and his own, "And the Breaking Point of All, BURNING GOLD!" The bullet fell into the bottom slot and the wind began to pick up around everything. The void formed once again as the drill began spinning rapidly. The heart of the Demon Gun began to pump faster and faster. The Demon Gun began to glow with an ominous purple light as well as shining with a golden color as Shiro cried out in a voice close to a roar, "BURN, SHOUKANJUU, PHOENIX!!!" He pulled the trigger of the Demon Gun, causing it to go off with a burst of smoke. Shiro didn't move as the smoke began to spiral around like a tornado as three pulsating beams of energy shot out of the smoke tunnel. They spiraled right toward the dragon without changing their speed. The energy continued to rise as it approached the dragon.  
  
The three energy beams came right up to the Ice Dragon's wings and seemed to vanish from existence. The dragon raised its head and looked around for the explosion that had not yet come and found nothing except for Shiro in front of itself. Then, without warning, the dragon expanded outward, inflating like a balloon. When the dragon had expanded to maximum capacity, it burst into flames and exploded outward across the battlefield, dissolving into warm pools of water. From the ruins of the dragon's body appeared a beautiful, flaming bird: the Phoenix. With the dragon destroyed, the Phoenix flew upward into the sky. A few seconds later, the Phoenix flew through the sky, causing it to shatter like glass and continued onward into space. The sky repaired itself and the Phoenix was gone.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
After watching the exciting end of the battle, Crystal and Reiya climbed down from the roof of the Dali Inn and waited for Shiro to return from the battlefield.  
  
"So, what inspired the Princess of Alexandria Castle to come to Dali of all places?" asked Reiya.  
  
Crystal sighed, "First of all, Shiro doesn't know I'm a princess. Secondly, when I left the castle I wasn't exactly prepared to find him in the middle of Evil Forest. And thirdly, I couldn't very well take him back to Alexandria with me, because the guards would mistake it for a kidnapping and then he'd be locked up for doing nothing. So, I decided to come here instead until things have quieted down a bit and the search isn't as exaggerated."  
  
"Not that it's likely to happen with Set in charge of the Knights of Pluto these days," noted Reiya.  
  
Crystal sweatdropped, "I hadn't really thought about that..."  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiro quickly fell to one knee. He clutched his arm as he winced. The golden casing reappeared and steam hissed out of it. The casing then changed back into an orb, which he quickly put back into the empty slot on his arm guard. He looked to the smoldering remains of where the dragon had been, though he saw the colors in reverse because his eyes hadn't changed back from black pits just yet.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Reiya asked, "Do you plan on returning to the castle?"  
  
"It would be better if I went back sooner than later and sorted this mess out," answered Crystal sounding unsure of herself. "Still, there are times when I'd rather just travel like this and have a certain sense of freedom about what I'm doing."  
  
"Even if it's dangerous?" asked Reiya.  
  
Crystal nodded, "I feel more alive when I don't have to be bound by the rules of royal living."  
  
Reiya said, "Well there is an Airship leaving for Alexandria tomorrow morning."  
  
"How do you know that?" asked Crystal.  
  
"Well, it's going to Lindblum afterward and I'm going there to hook up with my sister," replied Reiya. "So, I had to find out the fastest way to get there.. I can get you and your thoroughly misplaced friend onboard if you like."  
  
"Maybe," agreed Crystal.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Shiro finally stood up, ignoring the numbness in his arm. He walked over the smoldering ruins, looking around, although his eyes weren't returning to normal ~Aw hell.. they warned me that if I used it too often my eyes will either go blind or so weirdly wrong, as in reversed colors, permanently..~ He tried to fan off the smoke with his arms.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
To Be Continued... 


End file.
